[INDOLOGY] Emerging Scholars in Jain Studies – Inaugural Lecture by Julie A. Hanlon, University of Chicago

[Ana Bajzelj]

Dear all,

We are excited to announce our new initiative: the “Emerging Scholars in
Jain Studies” virtual event series co-organized by the Departments of
Religious Studies at UC Davis and UC Riverside. We envision this platform
as a way for junior scholars working on Jain materials to share their work
with and receive feedback from junior and senior scholars in the field of
Jain studies and the larger academic community.

We are happy to invite you to the inaugural lecture, which will be
delivered by *Dr. Julie A. Hanlon* (University of Chicago) on Friday, *January
21, 2022*, 9:00-10:20am (PST). You can find more information about the
lecture and the speaker below.

Register for the event here:
https://ucr.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcqceuvrDorEtCI0m5MBjnivgvGQVTYwYlh

Best wishes,

Lynna Dhanani and Ana Bajzelj





*Southern Mathura: Madurai as an Early Center of Jainism in South India*

The city of Madurai in Tamil Nadu was once host to some of the earliest
Jain monastic communities in India and continued to be a prominent center
of Jainism until c. 10th century. We know from classical Tamil poetry that
the city was formerly known as Kudal. This shift in identity from Kudal to
Madurai roughly coincides with the proliferation of Jain monasteries and
temples inside and outside of the city, including a constellation of Jain
hill sites known as the Eight Great Hills. In addition to the Jain
archaeological heritage associated with the city, within Tamil literature
Madurai is also depicted as host to Jain monastic communities. Inscriptions
referring to the city as “Southern Mathura” signal its identity as a
counterpart to the Jain center of Mathura in Uttar Pradesh. This lecture
will discuss the history of Jainism in Madurai, from the early Jain caves
bearing Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions to the stone temples and Jain relief
images of the 8th-9thcenturies. Through a combination of archaeological,
epigraphic, and literary evidence, it will show how a small group of
itinerant Jain monks traveling along trade routes connecting north and
south India grew into a large network of Jain monastic communities with
Madurai as their center.

Julie A. Hanlon’s research examines the history of Jainism in south India
and is characterized by an interdisciplinary approach. She holds an MPhil
in Archaeology from the University of Cambridge and a joint PhD in
Anthropology and South Asian Languages and Civilizations from the
University of Chicago. She has participated in archaeological excavations
across north and south India and spent several years in Tamil Nadu
researching classical Tamil literature and epigraphy. Dr. Hanlon’s recent
work examines the materiality of texts and inscriptions and the ways in
which the preservation, destruction, and reuse of literature and landscape
figured in the formation of religious identities in first millennium south
India. She currently serves as the Associate Director of Learning Design
for University of Chicago Professional Education (UCPE).

-- 

Ana Bajzelj
Associate Professor
Shrimad Rajchandra Endowed Chair in Jain Studies
Director of Undergraduate Studies
Department of Religious Studies
University of California, Riverside
She/her/hers
https://twitter.com/UCR_JainStudies
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